Chula Vista vocal phenom Jessica Sanchez will go her own way on Wednesday night's telecast of “American Idol.” The show, which includes Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks as the guest vocal coach, will feature “Idol’s” nine remaining finalists each doing a song by their “personal musical idol.”

That could leave a number of options for 16-year-old Jessica. She has earned lavish praise and standing ovations twice in the past three weeks from “Idol” judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson, thanks to her powerful voice, pinpoint dynamic control and teenage-defying poise and charisma.

“I also love Jennifer Hudson — she’s my all-time favorite ‘Idol’ (alum),” said Jessica, who added that she adores the singing of such “bluesy, soulful” icons as James, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

Wednesday's challenge for Jessica, then, is to do a song that enables her to pay tribute to one of her idols and to make their song her own.

Staying too true to the original song makes a contestant sound like a mimic. Straying too far makes them sound disrespectful or, worse, unsure of themselves. Taking some chances while remaining reverent can result in victory, if a vocal performance has the right balance of fire and finesse, precision and panache.

Jessica achieved precisely that mix on last week’s “Idol” with her potent performance of “Everybody Has a Dream,” a lesser known Billy Joel ballad. She began with tasteful restraint, then built to a gospel-fueled climax that drew praise (via phone) from Joel himself.

It would also be wise for her to eschew the vocal histrionics that are Dion and Carey’s trademarks, or from doing another Houston hit (such as “The Greatest Love of All”), if simply to avoid being typecast as a Houston imitator. Beyoncé is a gifted stylist, but it's difficult to think of one of her songs that would serve Jessica well. As for Franklin, going up against the fabled Queen of Soul is a questionable move for any singer, as Carey found out during the first "VH1 Divas" TV special in 1998 (during which Franklin ripped Carey to shreds, vocally speaking, without breaking a sweat, as she gave Carey a curt, "Is that all you've got?" look that spoke volumes ).

To maintain her leading contender position, Jessica should pay homage to her idol (whomever that turns out to be) Wednesday night, while avoiding their best-known songs. Should she chose to salute James, “At Last” is too obvious a choice. Not so, “Sunday Kind of Love” or “I’d Rather Go Blind,” two James gems that would suit Jessica well and would be familiar to some "Idol" viewers (and, presumably, the judges), but fresh to many more.

Likewise, should she opt to cover a song associated with Charles — in itself a gutsy move for a female singer — “Georgia On My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack” have been done too many times, by too many inferior vocalists. But singing, say, “Unchain My Heart,” a sizzling 1961 Charles hit, would allow her to simmer and then ignite.

Moreover, nailing a song like this would let Jessica honor a giant, but in her own way, as she continues to solidify a musical foundation on “Idol” that grows stronger by the week. Few 16-year-olds are able to carve out a distinct musical niche for themselves, since they are still absorbing their influences, mixing and matching styles, and gaining the life experience that makes a key difference between simply singing a song (however well) and making it sound as if you are living that song.

With time, Jessica will develop the tell-tale gravitas that her idols James and Charles conveyed with every note they sang. In the meanwhile, she already has displayed more than enough talent and charisma -- including a great voice, strong stage presence and her assured delivery -- to confirm that she has what it takes to go all the way on "Idol." The next chapter in her adventure begins Wednesday night.